YOU CAN GO

Whether he’s performing in the USA, the U.K. or Africa, country legend Don Williams finds that his music speaks a universal language.

“I don’t change my show to go play England or Nairobi,” Williams said. “I can pretty much choose anything from my repertoire, and it works wherever I am, and that still amazes me, because you’re talking about different cultures, sometimes different languages and the whole nine yards.”

Williams, known as the “Gentle Giant,” brings his mellow style of country music to the Peace Center on Jan. 17.

In a career of more than 40 years, Williams has scored 17 No. 1 hits on the country charts.

Some of his classic song include “I Believe in You,” “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Till the Rivers Run Dry,” “It Must Be Love,” “I’m Just a Country Boy” and “Tulsa Time.”

Born in Floydada, Texas, in 1939 and growing up near Corpus Christi, Williams was playing guitar by age 12, having been taught by his mother.

Although he eventually found his way to country music, his early inspirations came from both the country and pop worlds.

“I really appreciated people like Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash and Jim Reeves,” Williams said. “All of those guys meant a lot to me, but at the same time I really loved Brook Benton and the Platters and all those people.”

Williams performed in folk, country and rock bands as a teenager. He first gained widespread attention as a member of the pop folk trio The Pozo-Seco Singers, which had six pop chart hits in 1966-67.

Striking out on his own, Williams charted at least one major hit every year from 1971 to 1991.

In 2006, Williams retired from performing, but he came back four years later. In 2012, he released his acclaimed album “And So It Goes,” his first record since 2004.

In 2010, Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“I never really thought that I was viewed in that manner by the powers that be,” Williams said. “It’s an incredible honor to be added to the caliber of people that are on that roster. It’s pretty overwhelming, really.”

Opening for Williams will be the young Irish country singer Colm Kirwin.

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